Search location by ZIP code

Police: Volunteer firefighter set 2 fires on purpose because 'he was bored'

Police say people were inside both homes when the fires started in Munhall

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 12:28 PM EST Dec 12, 2018

Police: Volunteer firefighter set 2 fires on purpose because 'he was bored'

Police say people were inside both homes when the fires started in Munhall

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 12:28 PM EST Dec 12, 2018

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT OWNS THIS HOUSE ON CRAWFORD AVENUE, AND THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT WAS SET ON FIRE A WEEK AGO. YOU’LL NOTICE THE SIDE PANELLING HAS BEEN BURNED AND MELTED OFF. WE ASKED THE HOMEOWNER WHY HE DIDN’T CALL 911 A WEEK AGO, A HE SAID BECAUSE HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY SEE A FIRE. AND JUST DOWN THE STREET THIS PAST MONDAY, THE FRONT OF THIS HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE. THIS IS THE GUY WHO POLICE S ADMITTED TO STARTING BOTH FIRE BECAUSE HE WAS BORED -- 19-YEAR-OLD RYAN LAUBHAM, A MORE THAN ONE YEAR VOLUNTEER WITH THE MUNHALL BUREAU FIRE DEPARTMENT >> WE DON’T CONDONE THIS. IT’S NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD EVER EXPECT OUT OF ONE OF OUR MEMBER CHRIS: FIRE CHIEF ED PLETSCH SAYS YES, LAUBHAM WAS AMONG HIS TEAM DURING MONDAY’S FIREFIGHT, AND, YES, PLETSCH IS AWARE THERE’S SURVEILLANCE FOOTA THAT APPEARS TO SHOW LAUBHAM AT THE SCENE BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. AS TO WHAT THE VOLUNTEER FIREMAN IS ACCUSED OF DOING, PLETS SAYS THE LEGAL PROCESS HAS TO HAPPEN, BUT HE SAYS HE KNOWS HOW SERIOUS THIS IS. >> I GREW UP WITH THE GIRL WHOSE HOUSE HE TRIED TO LIGHT ON FIRE. SHE IS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A TRAGEDY. CHRIS: LAUBHAM IS FACING ARSON CHARGES ON TOP OF TERMINAL MISCHIEF. ' ’S BOND IS S AT $200,000 -- HIS BOND IS SET AT $200,000. RYAN LAUBHAM'

Advertisement

Police: Volunteer firefighter set 2 fires on purpose because 'he was bored'

Police say people were inside both homes when the fires started in Munhall

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 12:28 PM EST Dec 12, 2018

Police say they have arrested a volunteer firefighter who set 2 fires on purpose in Munhall because "he was bored." In both cases, people were inside the homes.Police say Ryan Laubham set one of the fires on Dec. 10 using gasoline and a second fire on Dec. 3 using paper towels. Both fires happened on Crawford Avenue. Laubham has since had his court arraignment and a bond set at $200,000."We have the public's trust, and this is something that hurts that; not just for us, but for all volunteers," said Munhall Fire Chief Ed Pletsch.Pletsch is waiting for the legal process to come to its conclusion of what happened, but says this is impacting his whole department."It's a first for us here at this station," said Pletsch. "It's never happened to us before, and hopefully we never go through this again."The homeowner in the December 10th arson was sleeping on her couch when she woke up and noticed the glow coming from her porch. Firefighters credit that victim's fast decision-making for stopping the fire from spreading throughout her house early Monday. After throwing water on the flames, she called 911."I also grew up with the girl who's house he tried to set on fire the other day, so this could have been a real tragedy," said Pletsch. "So we don't condone this. It's not something we'd would ever expect out of one of our members."Pletsch said the fire that day "could have been much worse." The homeowner in the December 3rd arson told police he too was inside his house when someone tried to start a fire on his back porch. That homeowner only reported the incident to investigators after the second fire was set on December 10th. Police say, they investigated and did in fact find the fire damage to his porch.Police say Laubham is a volunteer firefighter for the #4 company located on Main Street.

MUNHALL, Pa. —

Police say they have arrested a volunteer firefighter who set 2 fires on purpose in Munhall because "he was bored." In both cases, people were inside the homes.

Police say Ryan Laubham set one of the fires on Dec. 10 using gasoline and a second fire on Dec. 3 using paper towels. Both fires happened on Crawford Avenue. Laubham has since had his court arraignment and a bond set at $200,000.

The homeowner in the December 10th arson was sleeping on her couch when she woke up and noticed the glow coming from her porch. Firefighters credit that victim's fast decision-making for stopping the fire from spreading throughout her house early Monday. After throwing water on the flames, she called 911.

"I also grew up with the girl who's house he tried to set on fire the other day, so this could have been a real tragedy," said Pletsch. "So we don't condone this. It's not something we'd would ever expect out of one of our members."

Pletsch said the fire that day "could have been much worse."

UPDATE: This is a photo of a house set on fire last week on Crawford Avenue. Investigators say Munhall volunteer firefighter Ryan Laubham admitted to setting this house on fire and another home on fire this past Monday on the same street. pic.twitter.com/W56IQbIlTB

The homeowner in the December 3rd arson told police he too was inside his house when someone tried to start a fire on his back porch. That homeowner only reported the incident to investigators after the second fire was set on December 10th. Police say, they investigated and did in fact find the fire damage to his porch.

Police say Laubham is a volunteer firefighter for the #4 company located on Main Street.